It’s 9:30am here in Phuket, and I have just woken from five hours of deep slumber. We traveled a total of 30 hours, and yet when we lay down to rest last night, according to the time, we had left our friends home in Oxnard just 8 hours earlier. Time, is such an odd thing.Our first flight was from LAX to Hong Kong, and for 15 hours we chased the sun.
So here we are, in our hotel room in the jungles of Thailand. It’s 80 degrees outside, the humidity allows one to feel like a breath inhaled is thick, full of oxygen provided by the surrounding banana and guava trees, and chickens chirp and cackle as they scratch the dirt for an unlucky worm. It feels like home.

All that sitting in the sky provided plenty of time for me to reminisce. Our trip to the US was so busy, yet each moment so precious and unforgettable.
Our time in California with Mom and Dad, was as always, wonderful. Especially since my Dad and brother have journeyed on, it felt so good to hug Dad and my brother, Steve. I held each of them for just a moment longer this time, hoping they wouldn’t mind. Sweet Jasmine and I cuddled lots too. She kept wanting to lick my face as I ran my fingers through her soft hair.

We laughed and read and watched movies and talked. The time for relaxation was fantastic.

It was so wonderful to spend time with Jude. It just didn’t feel right or normal to have to say goodbye to her again, yet I’m so happy for her and the upcoming adventures that will continue to add fantastic chapters to her book of life. Soon she will leave for St Lucia and spend time the high seas once again…that place where heaven and earth become one…
We walked the shores of Avila Beach, searching for treasure carried in by the tide, and felt sea foam froth and disappear at out feet. The water was cold on the sand, as hundreds of rainbows shimmered in bubbles – no doubt, cast there by mermaids splashing out in the surf.

As I watched Jude run through flocks of unamused seagulls,

Danny wrote our initials in the sand behind me. The large stick he found moved fluidly in his hands as he formed a giant heart. My heart skipped a beat as I realized once again that somehow, he loves me.

Jude and Emma teased and laughed and I admired how beautiful they are. Not just their appearance, but their souls as well.

I asked for a somewhat serious photo, and they tried so hard…for just a second…Emma with her dramatic gaze and Aidan trying not to laugh out loud.

These moments are etched deep within forever. I love being a mother.

Aside from time at the beach,

we had our usual measuring of Jude and Aidan. Jude is convinced she’s still taller, and Aidan knows 100% that he is…

Once we said ’see you later’ to Mom and Dad, and dropped Danny off at LAX, we did what we do best:
Walked the docks.

The sounds of wind in the sheets, halyards against the mast and seagulls calling, is such a beautiful combination. The boats swayed gently in the marina, itching for their time at sea, and a lonesome sea lion swam among the hulls, surfacing only for a quick breath then shot off once again on its quest for a morning snack.

To be among boats, feels like home.
We spent wonderful time with our friends, the Walea Family, who graciously provided places for us to rest our heads in their beautiful home.
Soon time carried us to that place where we had to once again wish Jude farewell for now. I kissed her sweet face, embraced her and whispered a quite prayer of protection and love in my heart , then drove back onto those four lanes of craziness that lead to LAX. Impatient people hustled passed, unable to return a smile or greeting as their minds raced and worried. We watched others calmly, confidently wait their turn in sequins,

and before we knew it, it was our turn to take to our seats under the purple lights of Hong Kong Air.

Travels went smoothly and were pleasant aside from the guy who had bad gas for 15 hours – how is that even possible! The stench came in violent waves – fierce enough to singe hair in everyones nostrils and leave the wide burn stains on our lungs forever.

Today is a new day, and the air is warm and full of sweet jungle smells. Thailand is beautiful, and adventures await. What will today bring for the twins and I….?